Over the next four years Disney and Pixar are to make eight new 3D animated films. The next 12 animated films it will release between now and 2012 have been unveiled.

Get ready for WALL*E, Newt and Bolt

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Over the next four years Disney and Pixar are to make eight new 3D animated films. The next 12 animated films it will release between now and 2012 have been unveiled.

Robot love story 'WALL*E' opens this June in the US. With the hand-drawn 'Princess and the Frog' (Christmas 2009), it is the only movie not created in digital 3D.

Although there are currently only around 50 cinemas capable of showing the 3D pictures in the UK, they will also be available in a 2D format. Digital 3D still requires film-goers to wear funny glasses.

Pixar has converted hit movies 'Toy Story' and 'Toy Story 2' into 3D versions, to be released in 2009 and 2010 respectively. A new movie ('Toy Story 3', of course) starring all the favourite characters will show in June 2010. There will be a sequel to 'Cars' (you guessed it, 'Cars 2') in summer 2012.

"We're excited to be pushing the boundaries of 3D and computer technology to tell our stories in the best possible way," said John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios.

Other movies include: 'Bolt' (November 2008), the story of an actor dog who believes he has super powers; 'Up' (May 2009), about an elderly widower who embarks on a South American adventure; fairy tale 'Rapunzel' (Christmas 2010); 'Newt' (summer 2011), a love story involving the last two blue-footed newts alive; and modern-day fantasy 'King of the Elves' (Christmas 2012). Scottish fantasy 'The Bear and the Bow' will be the main feature for Christmas 2011.

Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, said: "We couldn't be more proud and excited about our upcoming line-up of feature projects. With so many great films literally on the drawing boards and computer screens, we felt that now was the perfect time to give movie-goers all over the world an update on the state of our art... this is as exciting a time as any in our history."

Pixar Animation was sold to Disney by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple - creator of the Mac, iPod and iPhone.